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Whatever the magnet is that attracts us to yoga, something
much deeper sustains the continuous, persistent return to
the mat.
Flowing water never stagnates just
as revolving doors never rust. We
too function in exactly the same
way; the less we move our bodies
the more stagnant we become, not
just physically but also mentally,
emotionally and spiritually. Yoga
practice, essentially, is for everybody;
whether you’re starting a practice for
health reasons, as a complementary
therapy or managing an injury, or
if you’re unhappy and plugged into
a life that doesn’t truly fulfil you;
whether you yearn for a sacred space
and community to feel connected
again or whether you’re working in
an office all day and need to move
your body. Whatever the reason
for starting, yoga in essence has the
capacity to reach every part of our
existence. Yoga has its own way of
making a significant change not only
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to how we see our life and others, but
also on the person who is seeing. It’s
like accepting a rose without wanting
the leaves, yoga is a whole package
and reaches into us far more widely
than we initially anticipate or could
even conceive.
And so the journey begins
My first experience of the physical
practice of asana was a somewhat
unconventional lifeline although
I’m sure quite common. It was back
in 1998 and I travelled to Australia
from London for a year-long
exploration as my rite of passage into
ultimately finding myself, hoping to
gain clarity on my life’s purpose and
my path ahead. I left all I had known
and all those I loved the most. I felt
as if I had been pulled out from
the roots and re-planted back into
unknown soil.
After reading yoga philosophy since
my early teens I decided to give the
yoga postures a try. Yoga schools were
certainly not as prolific as they are
today and most classes were gentle
in nature, held in cold church halls
with the offering of only a couple
of classes a week. I was at a friend’s
house and she suggested I practice
with her as she pushed her yoga
video into the VCR. It was an hour
long and at the end of the practice I
seemed to effortlessly absorb energy
of peace and stillness in a way that
I hadn’t experienced before. I have
come to understand that the essence
of Savasana (corpse pose) has always
been there, waiting for me to be still
and quiet long enough to be able to
receive it.
Something shifted for me that day
and I longed to receive that energy
All roads lead to the yoga mat
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of bliss as much as I could. What
surprised me the most was how the
practice began to infiltrate and weave
its way into so many areas of my life
as well as into who I was becoming.
It also sent me on a quest to find
the answers to understand more
completely what was happening
to me and why these changes were
occurring. As a result, I craved the
practice even more. I set off on my
path to find out exactly what that was
and, some 17 years down the road,
here I am sharing the very teachings
that changed my life, sharing them
with others in the hope of providing
the space to receive the same gifts I
too found that day on my mat.
Build IT and they will come
The powerful practice of yoga has
such a profound effect on most
students I teach and often what
draws an inquisitive student to yoga
isn’t always the same reason that
sustains the practice in the long term.
With an ever increasing number of
students practicing today, what really
does attract a student to the ancient
practice of yoga and exactly what
sustains their practice?
the 1950s tended to be more health
conscious, leaning towards an organic
wholefoods lifestyle, naturally fit and
flexible and spiritually drawn to living
the ancient teachings as a guide for
conscious living and who were in
essence devotees of the eight limbs of
yoga with strong spiritual undertones.
In order to cater for the growing
number of yoga students and
teachers, more and more yoga
schools are opening their doors
across Australia every year, making
it undeniable that the growth of
yoga has increased significantly
since yoga first arrived on our shores
back in the 1950s. This includes the
addition of yoga teachers within
gyms, health clubs, retreat centres,
corporate buildings and even in the
lounges of international airports. The
original yoga students of Australia in
Today, yoga students are attracted to
the practice for a myriad of reasons
partly due to the increased volume
of well-respected, educated research
now available coupled with the
changes that many people are seeing
amongst the devoted students. As a
result, committing to a yoga practice
is included as a complementary
health modality maintaining health as
well as disease and injury prevention.
Students aim to gain flexibility,
support rehabilitation post injury,
and reduce symptoms of illnesses
ayl.com.au • june - august 2015
55
All roads lead to the yoga mat
What surprised me
the most was how
the practice began to
infiltrate and weave its
way into so many areas
of my life
such as diabetes, as well as finding
a space to simply find some stillness
and peace. It is even more common
now to see elite athletes practicing
yoga as an adjunct to their existing
sport as well as health conscious
students who may also be cyclists,
runners, swimmers, dancers or
triathletes, to name but a few.
The fruits of the practice
One thing is for sure, whatever the
magnet is that attracts the student
to yoga, something much deeper
sustains the continuous, persistent
return to the mat. Whether intended
or not, the gifts of the practice begin
to unfold and the subtle changes
begin. In our modern world of the
over-connection with social media
and under-connection with self and
others, the mat becomes a place
of solace, and a time to plug back
into a world of richness that is
beyond our initial comprehension.
The yoga mat becomes our own
experience of Narnia, and an
opportunity of tapping into a world
rich in spirituality and vitality as we
reconnect to what matters and who
in fact matters the most.
In time, the yoga mat becomes the
sacred space that we crave; we too
begin to crave a teacher that can help
guide us as we all aim to find healthy
and meaningful ways of managing the
pressures of day to day living.
Through the practice, a deeper sense
of awareness and sensitivity to all
of life begins and we begin to feel
genuinely more awake, the light has
been turned on and we are seeing
with new eyes a greater sense of
living consciousness. This allows
us to live our lives with a greater
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level of awareness and realisation of
the identity of the true self and to
courageously live in the rawness of
life. Our practice then allows us to
intentionally manage life supported
and underpinned by a framework
of philosophy in a challenging,
demanding and fast changing world
and confirms that the teachings of old
have a place in our lives more now
than ever before.
Let the inner alignment begin
Clarity and realignment become
more apparent and the road becomes
clearer, perhaps leading to a change
in our profession or a new career
path, a big move to another state
or country, reviewing and changing
our nutritional choices, ending an
unfulfilling relationship or embracing
a new, more loving one. A connection
and an alignment shifts as we become
more in tune with our highest
purpose; the whispers from our
inner guidance become louder until
we respond with proactive action
towards our highest purpose.
Psychophysiological changes begin
to become more obvious, some of
which include:–
• the mind becomes clearer, more
focused and we mentally manage
our day to day with greater ease.
•
improved quality of sleep
which tends to lead to healthier
nutritional choices which further
leads to a greater experience of
aliveness and vitality.
• immunity improves with an
increased ability to ward off the
common cold more than before.
• y ou start to cope with stress
more effectively as the nervous
and endocrine systems return to
homeostasis and the biochemical
reactions to stressful situations
aren’t so invasive.
• our digestive system communicates
more clearly what we need and
the nourishment that provide us
with vitality, versus foods that are
heavier and energetically less vital.
• o ur relationships improve and
a richness in the quality of the
relationships develops as we begin
to favour healthy, loving, nurturing
relationships while the more
unhealthy, negative, unfulfilling
relationships fall away.
• cardiorespiratory fitness improves,
leading to the decline of health
conditions that are either caused by or
exacerbated by a sedentary lifestyle.
Living Self Realised
The practice of asana shows the way
of moving between the layers of
existence and we start to connect and
realise who we really are; recognising
that the true self is beyond our
physical form, we enter the state of
living in a conscious liberated way. In
yoga this is known as the jivanmukta
and we enter into the realm of living
a conscious life. We embark on a
journey of rich spirituality with the
recognition that all we are seeking
is within; yoga practices take us
much deeper with the understanding
that asana is the opportunity of
c o n t i n u o u s l y m o v i n g e n e r g y,
hence the changes of emotions and
memories that rise to the surface
when we practice.
Be the Change – Yoga and
Health is Contagious
When we commit to a yoga practice,
it becomes clear to not only ourselves
but also to those closest to us that
significant changes at a deeper level
are beginning to unfold. By the very
nature of the subtle changes initiated
by the practice, we are often unable
to articulate the specific step by
step changes that are evolving each
day; however we do know that a
positive shift at every level of being is
transpiring. This too inspires others
to seek that same.
To allow these changes to take place
in the long term, it is essential that we
surround ourselves with individuals
who have a positive influence on our
lives so that we too can be a positive
change for others. Increasingly,
scientific papers on social networking
research suggest that when one person stops smoking, it
influences people at four degrees of separation, clearly
highlighting the power of being the change that you wish
to see in the world, and then taking that change out into
the world. Our behaviour not only has a positive influence
on our own lives but also inspires those around us.
Comprehensive Training &
Experiential Education for
Students, Practitioners
& Teachers of Yoga
The richness of life that comes from this ancient practice
becomes the magnet that draws us back, time and time
again to our mat and to our sacred space, reminding us
that all we ever need can only ever come from within. The
mat becomes the mirror that reflects back to us where we
are in the present moment, and provides the space for
contemplation and reveals the truth of where we are on
our path.
Yoga as a cOMmunity
The irony of our modern world is that our most common
way to connect with others in order to feel less alone is to
paradoxically sit alone and connect with others through
social media and watch others live out their lives on TV.
Our tribal community is dispersed and disconnected
and yoga has helped to create community and a sense of
belonging. Our sociology has changed and so has our sense
of community where we most commonly don’t know who
our neighbours are, or what’s happening let alone connect
within our community. American Professor, writer, speaker,
anthropologist, and mythologist Joseph Campbell says that
we’re caught up in our day to day worlds and that “our life
has become so economic and practical in its orientation
that as you get older, the claims of the moment upon you
are so great you hardly know where the hell you are, or
what it is you intended”. In other words, we get lost, and
we need to find an anchor through yoga that can steer our
ship back home, that ship being the vessel of the self!
And so, as our practice continues to blossom, we in turn
do the same and as the road map ahead becomes clearer,
true gifts of the practice flourish. The seeds of the ancient
teachings reach out like the roots of the redwood trees,
not down, but out, and towards one another, reaching for
connection and satsang once more.
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Emma Palmer is the Founding Principal and Director
of Education at the Moksha Academy of Yoga in
Melbourne. Emma is a Level 3 Senior Yoga Teacher,
registered Pre Natal Yoga Teacher, Teacher Trainer
and a freelance writer (E-RYT-500, RYT-500 RPYT).
She can be contacted at www.mokshayoga.com.au
or [email protected]
For details contact: 0406 784 878
Email: [email protected]
www.yogatrinity.com
ayl.com.au • june - august 2015
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